


Family Ties

by TheAmazingCat (Kaybay2323)



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Family relationship only, One-Shot, based off of history, not based off the TWQ version of Elizabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 07:02:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4909825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaybay2323/pseuds/TheAmazingCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically just a short fic on the books Elizabeth of York had that were her Uncle, Richard III's books. No romance between them, family love only.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Ties

Elizabeth did expect the topic to be broached at some point.

 “Bess, all these months we’ve been married are you not curious about what happened to your uncle.” Henry said vaguely to her one night. It was late February, nearly March, and they had been married only nearly three months but Elizabeth knew her husband well already, he was a curious man. Of course he wanted to know about the rumors. These were painful memories for her, she wished he wouldn’t ask.

 “Why would I want to know my lord?” She asked hesitantly, she felt her palms began to shake. Surely he did not think… he couldn’t have thought the rumors were true.

 “Well he was your father’s brother, do you not wish to know he died well? Not a coward your uncle, if I had to say anything nice about him.” He continued loosely. Still not pressing the issue he desired to hear about, she grew bored of this game. If he wanted to know, he could ask her plainly.

 “Henry…” Elizabeth started using his Christian name “Why now? All these months, not once during our courtship did you bring up my uncle.”

 “I was looking through your books.” Henry spoke no more; she knew what he saw. He sat on the bed.

“My Lady the Kings Mother gave those to me, surely you must know that.” Elizabeth said.

“I know that, but Bess…” He sighed “You kept his name in those books, wrote yours beside it.”

 Elizabeth scoffed the absurdity of that comment, as if it meant something.

“Tis meaningless, I simply…” Elizabeth started to hesitate.

She did not know how to explain that while her uncle hurt her family deeply he was still her uncle, and he was a good man and King. She did not wish to offend Henry by saying that, Henry knew so little of families; his only family growing was his Uncle Jasper. Jasper had never betrayed him the way members of Elizabeth’s family betrayed each other. He did not understand, that betrayal did not change the love they had for each other.

Elizabeth loved her Aunt Anne dearly but her father had murdered her grandfather and uncle. Elizabeth can still remember her Uncle George, who would offer her sweets and spoke kindly to her, but he threatened Papa and he died because of it. Papa loved Mama but he betrayed his vows to her many times, she loved him still though, and Elizabeth loved him as well. Elizabeth loved her Grandmother Cecily, but she and Mama could never get along. Uncle Richard was no different, Elizabeth admitted she saw little of him, but he was her family, and that did not change because Henry won the battle against him.

“Go on.” Henry coached

“Gloucester was my uncle, my father’s brother. No matter what happened between my mother and him, my father loved him. And I believe… no I know Gloucester loved him. I liked to remember him for that love. Nothing more.” Elizabeth spoke firmly.

 “There were many rumors about this time last year. I never believed them.” Henry spoke their was a “but” there that Elizabeth heard. He wanted answers.

 “As you shouldn’t, it was vile gossip Henry.” Elizabeth moved to sit behind him. Elizabeth remembered those dark days, after Queen Anne’s death, nearly a year had passed since. The isolation she felt, the whispering behind her back. Elizabeth had never known such fear.

 

* * *

 

_She had been called to appear before the King, she had been up half the night with Cecily fear and terror rid her body. Her uncle was not an unkind man, but she had not seen him since the rumors started, since the Queen’s death. Anne had enjoyed her company, Anne had promised her uncle was planning a marriage; Anne had offered her shelter and guidance. Her uncle was all but a distant figure, he took her brothers away and they were now gone, he had executed her half brother and Uncle Anthony. She never feared him though until now, she was a girl, no threat to him. But now people spoke how her claim would legitimatize his, that she was a Princess in truth._

_What would he do with her, with her sisters now, that people viewed them as legitimate? Who would speak for her now that Aunt Anne was gone? Who would appeal for her case to be married? What would happen to her?_

_She had heard the King was angered indeed. Would his angry strike down on her?_

_“Lady Elizabeth.” He spoke curtly; Elizabeth noticed the dark circles under his eyes, his unusually pale completion. She never knew he loved Aunt Anne, or at least she told her he cherished her dearly, but now that she was gone the affects were plain to see. Elizabeth’s palms began to sweat._

_“Your Grace” She sunk into a deep curtsy._

_“I am sure you understand that you can no longer stay at court. The rumors… they will only damage your reputation.” He spoke, the lingering thought of marriage stayed in her mind. What husband would want her now?_

_“I understand.” She said, “Where will I go?” She asked her voice coming out in a squeak, would he do away with her, lock her in a country house, or a convent for the rest of her life. Was she never to see the court again, never to see her mother or sisters again?_

_“I am sending you to Lady Richmond, Lord Stanley has convinced me that a woman with Lady Richmond’s reputation would leave no cause for suspicious. She is guarded though by her husband, who will not allow any… uncertainty about your person.”_

_“I would never…” Elizabeth started in vain_

_“It matters not what you do, but what people would do for you.” Richard said “My disgusted over the rumors ‘tis not the lone problem. The idea that you would validate my claim to the throne, as if you had one.” He spoke harshly, more harshly then Elizabeth had ever heard before. He was never this cold, she remember Christmas time when he had been quite charming and warm towards the court. That was now gone._

_The King then looked at her. Did he notice her paleness, and sunken eyes?_

_“Are you frightened of me child? Do you fear your uncle, who has provided so much to a natural child like yourself? Do you think I would be so cruel as to take my wrath out on you? Or did you think in some sense of torn grief I would force you into such an unnatural marriage? Has your mother spoken to you about it?”_

_“I… I… of course not Your Grace” She said quickly. “You would never… Mama, she has never even…” She began to stutter, the King calmed quickly, seeing he was frightening her._

_“I do not blame you, of course not. I am angered, outraged by this vile… to think I would ever.” He stopped himself “I shall not repeat them, the are certainly unworthy to reach a noble lady like yourself. You are an innocent in all of this.”_

_Elizabeth stood there in silence, as he hadn’t dismissed her yet._

_“I have something else to tell you, something which might please you.”_

_“Yes.”_

_“I am arranging a marriage to you.” He said, “I know how much you longed for it, Anne often…” his voice flattened. “The Queen often spoke of you, and this was your greatest wish.”_

_“It is, I thank you sire. May I ask to whom?” She asked, she did want a marriage, but she was also uncertain of who her choice of husband will be. Cecily was lucky to marry for love, and she remains in England, close to our mother, and to our sisters._

_“Manuel Duke of Viseu, cousin to my future…bri.. Queen.” He said struggling with the word, as if it pained him to give her title. Elizabeth could see he was struggling with the idea of remarriage so soon. He knew his duty though, Aunt Anne would not want him alone._

_“She would be happy.” She said, she knew she had spoke out of turned, Richard’s eyes held hers “Queen Anne, she never wanted you alone. She’d be glad your plans for remarriage were coming fruition.”_

_Richard did speak for a moment, but when he finally did he couldn’t meet her eyes._

_“Yes, yes… and you should know Anne was fond of you. She often told me that you were a great comfort and joy to her during the days after our son’s death.” Richard said_

_Elizabeth remembered well, she had been just at court when the awful news had travelled south. The poor boy, died alone in the North of England, without any of his parents nearby. That had been nearly a year ago now, she felt sorry for the King, to lose his wife and heir so close in succession._

_The was silence between them as they both remember the Queen, then finally he spoke with a clear voice._

_“You are dismissed Lady Elizabeth. I trust you will be content with your new arrangements.”_

_“I thank you, Your Grace.” She said before leaving, and she sighed a breath of relief._

* * *

 The memory quickly fade from her mind. She would not think of those days, she was happy now, she had a loving husband, she was Queen of England, she was no longer a bastard girl without station... she would not go back to those days. 

“My Uncle, Henry…” Elizabeth stopped, she did not wish to often Henry. “I will say no more of him. He was my father’s brother, I barely knew him. The most I saw him was when I was maid to Qu… to Aunt Anne. Even then it was fleeting, he was there to see her, not me. All I wanted from him was to provide me with a good Christian marriage, as all young women want.”

“I should not have brought it up.” Henry said after a moment of silence “Tis wrong of me to bring up painful memories like that. It’s just the books Bess, I did not wish to believe there were any truth to the rumors…”

“There was not. My uncle was arranging another marriage for himself, he told me after my aunt passed.” Elizabeth said, she did not want to bring up her own betrothal.

Henry stewed over Elizabeth’s comments.

“So you do not long for your family to be back on the throne.” He spoke very quietly. She could tell it was a fear, that she did not truly believe he had a right to the throne. With the uncertainty of what happened to her brothers, Henry needed her support.

“Henry… my family, we are on the throne.” Elizabeth said strongly. “I am the Queen of England, and that means that while I live my family is on the throne, and our child will rule after us.”

“Child?” Henry said his eyes meeting her.

“I consulted with a midwife earlier, I wanted to say so earlier but it was so soon. The midwife is saying it must be a wedding night child.”

“Truly?” Henry said astonished, pulling her into an embrace.

“We are very blessed my lord.”

“Of course we are, I should not have thought differently.” Henry said kissing her sweetly.

Elizabeth thought to herself how lucky she was to have a husband of such a manor. Henry had never known the betrayals she had, he had been betrayed but not by his family, not ever by his Lady Mother or his Uncle Jasper. They had always supported him strongly. She worried for him though, what would happened to him when he was betrayed by those closest to him? How could he weather it? Elizabeth learned from her father how to weather such storms, but Henry...

She simply prayed those days to never come for him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed. If you liked this leave me a Kudos or a Comment below. And remember to go to follow meon Tumblr, http://theamazingcat.tumblr.com/ , to see more posts on Henry and Elizabeth.


End file.
